Stabbing the uneven bars right into our hearts, Simone Biles will not be competing in Thursday’s individual all-around women’s gymnastics competition at the Tokyo Olympics. The New York Times reports that Biles, who was expected to dominate the event, made the decision after undergoing “further medical evaluation†and determining it was best “to focus on her mental health.†The withdrawal comes after Biles stepped away on Tuesday from the women’s team finals, also citing mental-health reasons. Team USA’s Jade Carey, who placed ninth in the all-around qualifications, will take Biles’s spot in the finals. She joins fellow USA all-around competitor Suni Lee. “We wholeheartedly support Simone’s decision and applaud her bravery in prioritizing her well-being,†USA Gymnastics said in a statement. “Her courage shows, yet again, why she is a role model for so many.†The organization added that Biles will “continue to be evaluated daily†to determine if she’ll compete in next week’s individual apparatus events: Vault, balance beam, uneven bars, and floor.
Update July 31, 8:30 p.m.: Biles has withdrawn from the individual floor exercise, USA Gymnastics confirmed. This news follows her Friday announcement that she would be withdrawing from the uneven bars and vault events. It remains to be seen whether Biles will compete in the balance beam event on Tuesday.